Love in Loserville
by screwtherulesihavmoney
Summary: At Playa De los Losers, Courtney finds a friend in Noah. However, Noah soon begins to see her as something more. When Duncan comes to the resort and becomes jealous of the friendship, will Courtney have to make a choice? NxCxD
1. Chapter 1

Hiya! ok, so I know I'm supposed to be working on Warriors the musical and Romeo and Juliet, but this idea kept eating at my brain until I submitted! It is a a DxC or an NxC story. I'll let you choose. There'll be a poll on my profile. But without a boubt, there'll br love triangle-y goodness!

Disclaimer: I don't own TDI ( I wish I did, because then I could make Noah win)

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"_You would've just been voted off in a different episode. Nobody liked you that much."_

Courtney gasped, tears flooding her eyes. Normally, she would have killed someone for insulting her, or claimed that it wasn't true. But this brought back a painful memory. As Courtney's eyes blurred, Lindsay changed into a tall, brunette girl, standing in an empty hallway. " Nobody likes you that much." She said, the phrase repeating itself in Courtney's head. Unable to block the memory or the tears, Courtney ran off.

…

Noah watched as Courtney fled into the trees surrounding the pool. For someone who practically insults people for a living, Noah felt that Lindsay had been way too harsh, even if it was true. He was about to say something, when he noticed that no one attempted to follow Courtney, to make sure she was okay. _I knew I never liked them._ He thought, the he went to follow Courtney

…

Courtney sat at the edge of the dock, crying. She had often come here to think. Right now, she was thinking about why everyone seemed to hate her. She had no friends at school, her parents ignored her in favor of her siblings. I fact, the only reason they had let her audition for Total Drama Island was to get her away for a while. Even her fellow campers didn't care that she had been wrongfully voted off, or that Lindsay had harshly insulted her. _But then, she wasn't lying. No one likes me, except for maybe…_ Courtney couldn't bring herself to even think his name. Sure Duncan had seemed upset when she was voted off, and he had made her a skull ( she sleeps with it, by the way), but he had also insulted her and made fun off her. Who's to say he wasn't just using her? _And to think._ Courtney thought angrily, _I got eliminated for him!_ Courtney stared down at the water. It looked very inviting. Maybe she should-

"Courtney?" a monotonous voice called out. Courtney turned and saw Noah standing at the end of the dock.

"Oh, hi Noah." Courtney said. "What do you want? Do you want to tell me that nobody likes me? Go ahead, I already know."

"Nice self-esteem." Noah replied, then realized that probably wouldn't help. He would have to tone down the sarcasm a bit.

Courtney groaned. " If you're going to be a jerk, can you do it somewhere else?"

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why? Everyone else didn't mind that I ran away."

"Yeah well, everyone else is a loser. You're not really letting what Lindsay said get to you, are you?"

" You don't understand." Courtney sniveled as Noah sat next to her. " Someone said that to me before, and it really hurt. And now, I realize it's true. Not even anyone here likes me!"

"That's not true!" Noah protested. For some reason, he hated how upset she was. "I like you."

"You do?"Courtney asked, surprised. She and Noah had never really talked before.

"Of course." Noah said. He opened his arms for a hug, which seemed like a thing friends do. Noah wouldn't know, since he'd never had a friend. Maybe that's why he liked Courtney. They both felt alone in the world.

Courtney fell into his arms, sobbing. But Noah wasn't concerned. He knew they were tears of joy, joy that Lindsay was wrong.

And so, for the first time in their lives, Courtney the C.I.T and Noah the Bookworm had a friend.

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Short, yes, but if you know me, you know my chapters are short, but they get longer, I swear!

Let me know if you want me to continue this. I won't if everyone hates it. Kay bye, and um, review!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I never update two days in a row! Consider it a rare treat.

Disclaimer: me= not owner of TDI

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The next day at Playa de los Losers, Courtney and Noah sat next to each other on lawn chairs, far away from everyone else. When the two had returned from the poolside last night, no one had even batted an eyelash. LeShawna had just arrived, so everyone was focused on her. But Courtney and Noah could care less. They had decided to hate all the other campers, all except for Duncan. That obviously was Courtney's idea, and Noah had reluctantly agreed, which surprised him. When had he started hating Duncan so much?

Currently, the two were asking each other questions, to get to know one another.

"Dickens or Shakespeare?" Noah asked.

Courtney thought for a moment, before replying, "Dickens. Oliver Twist was my favorite book as a kid."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Your favorite book as a little kid was one of the most depressing stories ever?"

Courtney laughed. Noah like how it sounded. She never laughed nearly enough. "Yeah. But I never thought it was depressing. I thought it was cool."

"I bet you were one weird kid then."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and I bet you were Mr. Popular too." Since hanging out with Noah, Courtney had developed a bit of a sarcastic streak. It wasn't hard to when you were around Noah a lot.

"As a matter of fact, I was not, thanks for bringing it up. And I believe it's your turn to ask a question."

"Alright. Pop or country?"

"Neither." Noah shuddered. "I like classic rock."

Courtney gasped. "Me too!"

Noah's mouth hung open. "I don't believe it. Miss Student Council President like classic rock."

Courtney glared at him. "Don't forget that you're president of your school too."

"True. Okay, you win."

By this time, the sun was starting to set, soon all the ex-campers would be gathering on the dock to greet the newest loser. Noah and Courtney wouldn't be joining them. They didn't really care about the competition anymore, since they weren't in it. And since Courtney was certain that Duncan was going to win, there was no point in leaving their chairs, Instead, they planned on reading Shakespeare and trying to find all the deep meanings behind the words. While none of their fellow campers would find that interesting, the two most well-read campers certainly would.

"Hey, why don't I get us some sodas? Reading is thirsty work, you know."

"Cool. My first choice is cherry coke, second is root beer."

Noah nodded and walked to the juice bar, ignoring the 17 pairs of eyes staring at him. As he placed an order for two cherry cokes. The other losers whispered amongst themselves, until finally Katie and Sadie approached him.

"Oh my gosh, where were you all day, Noah? Sadie thought you went swimming in the pool last night, and a shark ate you!" Katie exclaimed.

Noah rolled his eyes. Why couldn't every girl be as smart as Courtney? "First of all, for the thousandth time, sharks don't swim in chlorinated water! And second of all, I was with Courtney."

"Against your will, I presume." Trent said.

Noah glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Trent shrugged, wondering why the brainiac was being so defensive. "Nothing. It's just Courtney's a little…"

"Annoying." Lindsay finished for him. The others nodded.

Noah glared at them. "She is not! You just haven't taken the time to get to know her because you're all stuck up in your perfect little worlds. You wouldn't call her annoying if you knew what she's been through!"

"Whoa, man, chill." Geoff said, putting a hand on Noah's shoulders. Noah shrugged it off."

"I will not chill! You guys think you're so perfect! Well let me tell you something-"

Noah was interrupted by the sound of a motorboat. All the ex-campers suddenly lost interest in him and went to the dock to find out who was joining them.

Noah sighed and picked up the sodas. Courtney's and his spot were pretty far away from the pool, an d it would take a while to get there.

_It's already been a while._ He thought. Why did he feel the need to defend Courtney? Why was he so defensive about her?

_Isn't it obvious, egghead? You like her!_

The thought planted itself in his head before he could stop it. He couldn't really like Courtney, could he? They were just friends! Besides, Courtney obviously loved Duncan. There it was. That anger that came whenever he read, said, or even thought the delinquent's name. He couldn't imagine why. Jealousy wasn't even an option. But then he thought of Courtney's beautiful face, her sharp tongue, and her commanding personality. He had never felt this for a girl: that jittery, glowing feeling that made him want to jump for joy whenever she looked at him. And Noah was not a jumping for joy person, so this is huge.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Duncan pushing his way out of the crowd on the dock, his eyes scanning the pool area. It was obvious he was searching for Courtney.

_I guess Courtney was right. _Noah thought sarcastically _He is obviously a winner. _Noah turned and ran back to Courtney, not even considering telling Duncan where she was.

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Review and vote on the poll! I know we didn't get to see jealous Duncan in this chapter, but we need to develop NxC a bit, so he'll be next chapter. and I'm sorry there's so much NxC, DxC fans, but there will be equal amounts of both next chappie!


	3. Chapter 3

I revised the chapter a bit, cuz I wasn't happy with how it turned out. I wrote it at 11:30 on a school night, and my dad was yelling at me to get off, so it wasn't its best. The next chapter will probably be out later today.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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As Duncan stepped off the boat, his eyes scanned the crowd around him. All of the voted-off campers were there, except for the one he wanted to see most.

Hey, man! Good to have you here, man!" His buddy Geoff called clapping him on the back. Duncan noticed his arm around Bridgette. _Looks like they're happy to be reunited._ Duncan thought. Speaking of which…

"Hey man. It's nice to see you. Hey, have you seen a hot, bossy C.I.T around here?"

Geoff shrugged. "You mean Courtney? I'm pretty sure she's with Noah."

_Noah? Since when is she friends with Noah?_ Duncan shook the thought off : It was obvious Princess wanted him.

"Yeah, they've been hanging out lately. He got all pissed when Lindsay said that she was annoying."

But Duncan wasn't listening anymore. He broke apart from the crowd, scanning the pool. No Courtney. Duncan started walking into the forest of palm trees, until he found her, asleep on a lawn chair, with no Noah in sight, as Duncan happily noted.

He stood next to her, trying to memorize her face. Her mocha hair, her freckles, her perfect mouth. She looked so relaxed and at peace when she was asleep, which was so different from when she was awake.

_I wonder if she has any clue how much I love her._ He had been in agony after she had been voted off. Oh sure, he had put on an act for the camera. But at night, he had stared at his secret picture of her until he cried himself to sleep. The only reason he had been happy to leave the island and his chance for 10 grand was seeing her again. And it was worth it. Absentmindedly, he brushed a strand of hair away from her angelic face.

"Sorry it took me so long. I got in this huge fight, and-" Noah stopped when he realized Duncan was there, standing above a sleeping Courtney. _I must have taken longer than I thought._

". Hi Duncan." Noah said, not even trying to contain the hatred in his voice.

"Hey Noah." Duncan said coldly. Apparently, the feeling was mutual.

"Well, tell Courtney her soda's here when she wakes up." Noah said, placing the soda on the chair-side table. "I'll just leave you two alone." With that, Noah slunk into the shadows.

_Thank God he's gone_. Duncan couldn't quite place it, but he hated the way that egghead looked at his princess.

"Wah." Duncan looked down to see Courtney waking up. "Duncan?"

"Hey princess." Duncan smirked at her. "Miss me?"

"Duncan! What are you doing here?" Courtney exclaimed. Jumping up and kissing him before he could answer.

When they broke apart, "Duncan replied, "Chef booted me off just because he doesn't like me. No worries though."

"Oh, Duncan, I'm sorry. I know you really wanted the money. But you're here now." She hugged him and nestled her head against his chest, then whispered, more to herself than to him, "You're here."

Duncan wrapped his arms around her, feeling happy for the first time since Courtney was voted off. He placed his mouth on top of her head, kissing it softly.

Suddenly, Courtney's head shot up, hitting Duncan's chin in the process. "Oh my Gosh! I completely forgot I was supposed to be reading with Noah! Oh, did I hit you sorry!" She called out in a rush as she sprinted off, looking for Noah.

"What's so special about Noah?" Duncan muttered. He looked at the soda Noah had left for Courtney. Cherry Coke. Ugh. Duncan hated cherry coke, but for some reason, Courtney loved it. And apparently so did Noah, since he had been carrying one for himself.

_Maybe they are good for each other._ He banged his head against a coconut tree to try to get rid of the thought, but it wouldn't go.

…

Noah had been hiding in the bushes throughout the couple's reunion. He felt his blood boil when they hugged and kissed, and smiled in triumph when Courtney ran off to find him.

As Noah went to meet Courtney, he couldn't deny his feelings any longer: he liked Courtney. He, Noah, the cynical bookworm, like a girl. Unfortunately, Duncan likes the same girl

_Well, you know what they say: all's fair in love and war. And this is war._

_

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_Ooh, the drama! review!


	4. Chapter 4

Wow. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Anyway there's some Noah and Duncan fighting and jealousy, and a little bit of swearing, so don't read this to any little kids!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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The morning after Duncan arrived in de Playa de losers, Courtney woke up feeling refreshed and happy. There were only two days left before the finale, and after that everyone would go home. But for now, Courtney was determined to make the most of it with her boyfriend and her best friend.

As she made her way to the buffet table for an omelet, Courtney looked around for either Duncan or Noah, but couldn't seem to find either. _That's strange. They're both early risers. Oh well, they're probably just tired._ Sure that that was it; she ate her food quickly and left, not wanting to spend any more time with the others than she had to. Not that they would ever talk to her. They basically just ignored her.

_What did I ever do to make them hate me? _Sure, she might have been a bit… overbearing, but she was nice! Nicer than Heather, anyway.

Just then she spotted Duncan making his way towards her. "Morning, Princess." The delinquent said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Courtney said, feigning annoyance like she always did when he called her that. In truth though, she actually kind of liked it.

"Nope. Besides, there are a thousand Sweethearts or Darlings, but only one princess."

"Oh I'm sure there are others, if you look hard enough." Courtney giggled. She noticed a familiar tan know-it-all walking towards them. "Hey look, it's Noah!"

"Great," Duncan muttered, but Courtney didn't seem to hear him. Instead, she ran to Noah, giving him a quick hug that made Duncan's blood boil. "What do you want to do today?"

"Well, there are just so many options, it's hard to choose. We could tan, we could swim, or we could eat until we explode. So many options."

"Makes me wonder what the final three are doing. Granted, those guys are about as fun as, oh, say the first three voted off."

Noah glared at Duncan, but Courtney didn't get the insult, or if she did, she didn't let it show. "We should go inside. I heard there was a Led Zeppelin concert playing on VH1."

Noah and Courtney smiled at each other, as if they were sharing something only they knew. It made Duncan sick.

"Watching TV? Come on, it's gorgeous out! Why don't we go hang by the pool with everyone else?" Duncan suggested. Hey, Geoff and Bridgette had been making out constantly by the pool. Maybe that would give Courtney some ideas. And better yet, that might drive Noah out.

But Courtney and Noah looked at each other, worried. "Well, actually, we don't really go there that much. No one else really likes us." Courtney said.

Duncan smiled at her. "So? If anyone messes with my princess, I'll pound them to a pulp."

Courtney smiled at this, but Noah was irked by the way that Duncan glared at him when he said my princess, as if to emphasize it. _Whatever. If he wants to be a jealous jerk, let him. It'll just turn Courtney off in the end._

So the three headed towards the pool, Courtney and Noah trailing nervously behind Duncan. When they arrived, all chatter and activity stopped. 16 pairs of eyes followed the three as they went to the juice bar, which was also occupied by Katie, Sadie, and Trent. Courtney, feeling extremely awkward, muttered to Duncan and Noah, "I'm going to get us some sodas. Be back in a sec." before rushing off, as soon as she was gone, Trent turned to Duncan and said, "Man, I don't know how you put up with her."

When Trent said that, Duncan felt like throttling Trent, destroying his guitar, and all other horrible stuff to him, but he forced himself to keep his cool. He didn't want to have to return to juvie and leave Courtney behind so soon. So instead he shrugged and replied, "What can I say? She's hot."

Hearing Duncan say this, Noah felt something snap inside him. "That's all you care about?! Hotness? What about the fact that she's the most beautiful, funny, kind, smart girl in the entire world?!"

"Why do you care so much. You're her friend." Duncan spat back, doing everything he could to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

"I care because Courtney is amazing, and she shouldn't have to settle for a jackass like you!"

This made Duncan angrier than he'd ever been. _No one _insulted him, and _no one _told him the truth if the truth sucked. "That's it!" he yelled, jumping on top of Noah, prepared to wring his skinny neck, when he heard a voice.

"Stop!" it cried, and a pair of brown hands pulled him off of Noah. "What are you doing?! You could have hurt him! You did hurt him!"

Looking down, Duncan saw Noah stand up, covered in bruises and scratches. Before he could say anything, Noah ran off in the direction of the dock.

"What's wrong with you?" Courtney cried, glaring at him through her tears.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Duncan yelled at her. "Why are you so upset about Noah? If you like him so much why don't you date him, you slut?"

Courtney gasped, and she suddenly saw the tall, brunette girl again, calling her a slut in front of her giggling friends. Courtney ran, unable to control her tears.

Seeing his princess cry, Duncan suddenly felt like the biggest jerk in the world. But no one else seemed to think so.

"Way to stick it to her, man." Trent said, smiling.

"Shut the hell up." Duncan hissed, "You're the asshole here. Tell me, have you ever even talked to her?"

"Before Trent could answer, Duncan whipped around and ran after Courtney.

…

Noah sat on the dock. He had wanted to see Duncan and Courtney fight, wanted to see Courtney choose him over Duncan. But not when it hurt Courtney like that.

And besides, she hadn't chosen him.

Noah sighed. Courtney and Duncan's relationship was spiraling downhill, and he should be happy. But Courtney wasn't, so he wasn't. And she was still with Duncan, not him.

"Why the long face, brainiac?"  
Noah looked up to see a skinny girl with a sneer and most of her hair missing, but there was still a little bit left. Even without hair, the revealing clothes screamed Heather.

_She must have been voted off. The others weren't expecting her until tonight._ That must have made Gwen and Owen the finalists. Lucky them.

"Oh. Nothing. Well not nothing." And then, Noah told Heather anything. Of course, she wasn't the most trustworthy camper, but Noah needed to get all of this off his chest.

"So, you like Courtney, but Courtney's with Duncan. And Duncan and Courtney just had a big fight." Heather tapped her chin. "You know, I might be able to do something to help you."

"Oh no. Nothing that will hurt Courtney."

"Noah, Noah, Noah. Haven't you ever heard the phrase Love Hurts?"

""Forget it Baldie. I ain't buying."

Heather glared at him. "Fine. Enjoy being alone." She hissed over her shoulder as she walked away. But she was already developing a plan. Not for Noah, though it would help him, even if it hurt Courtney. It was for herself, so she could get revenge. And who says you can't use old tricks on a new dog?

_It's payback time!_ Heather laughed as she disappeared into the shadows of a cold full moon.

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what is Heather's plan? I know, but I'll never tell! Muhaha, I love being the author!

review!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I was busy with the end of school (sophmore now, whoa!") and watching Ocean's eight or nine! It was a great episode, besides Duncan and Courtney's behaviors. It was so worth the wait, though I'll miss Owen =(

Disclaimer: I do not own TDI/A, Canada, or the first Nirvana album, which is very disappointing.

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That night, Duncan went to the pool area, looking for Courtney. He had spent hours searching the small resort island for her, but he couldn't find her anywhere. When he had finally gone to his room to catch some Z's before resuming his search, he found a note from Courtney, telling him to meet her at the pool area at midnight. This excited him, because if Courtney was willing to talk to him, perhaps she would forgive him. But right now, it was 12:05, but Courtney wasn't there.

_Why is she late? _Duncan thought, before it occurred to him that no one had explored the parts of the island that were still forest. Perhaps Courtney had run there in a daze, and encountered a hungry bear-

_No! _Duncan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the image of Courtney's bloody, mangled body lying twisted in the woods. _I can't think like that! I won't! _

Just when Duncan was about to give up and go back to his room, he heard a voice call out, "Oh, woo-hoo! Duncan!"

Duncan turned around. The voice was feminine, and for a split-second, he thought it was Courtney, until he saw the tall, scantily dressed bald girl who he used to be attracted to until a brunette over-achiever caught his eye.

"Heather? What are you doing here?"

"Why, Duncan, didn't you get my note?"

"What note?"

"The note telling you to meet me here at midnight."

Before Duncan could reply, Heather pulled him closer to her and kissed him.

…

Courtney approached the pool area, hoping Duncan would still be there, since she was only 5 minutes late. Courtney had spent most of the day in a secluded gazebo that she had discovered soon after her elimination. No one else but her knew about it, not even Noah. It was her second choice for a quiet place to think if she thought someone would look for her at the dock. After she was sure no one was still looking for her, she went back to her room, only to find a note from Duncan, telling her to meet him by the pool area at midnight. She chose to go, only because there was a good chance he would apologize to her.

As she got closer to the pool area, she started to hear kissing noises. _Oh god. Geoff and Bridgette are at it again. _She was about to yell at them to get a room, when she noticed that the two looked nothing like the two blonde lovebirds. The girl was bald, and the boy had a Mohawk…

"No." Courtney whispered, tears forming in her eyes as her heart broke.

Heather pushed Duncan away, glaring at him. "Duncan, how could you! I don't care if you're fighting, you shouldn't kiss someone in front of your girlfriend!"

"What are you-" Duncan began before turning to see Courtney with tears running down her face while she glared at him.

"How could you!? With that slut! I thought you were going to apologize! I thought you liked me!"

" I do Courtney! I didn't-"

"SHUT UP!!!!! JUST SHUT UP!!!!!! I DON"T WANT TO HEAR YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSES!!!" Courtney yelled, tears pouring down her face. "I hate you." She whispered before she ran away.

"Courtney, no! Wait!" Duncan yelled, before he turned to face Heather. "You-" Duncan began, but no one was there. The last three minutes replayed themselves in his head, with Courtney telling him that she hated him repeating itself over and over.

_I hate me, too. _Duncan thought. He had hurt Courtney twice today. Two more times than he'd ever wanted to. He would never forgive himself for that.

Duncan fell to his knees, too exhausted to hold himself up. But he could never fall asleep now.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Duncan screamed in frustration and self-hatred.

_I will make this right _Duncan vowed before he began to cry as Courtney whispered "I hate you," In his head for the umpteenth time.

…

Back on the island, Owen barged into Gwen's cabin, waking up the fellow finalist.

"What is it, Owen?" Gwen asked groggily.

"I just heard something like a scream. Did you hear it." The large teenager asked, looking around nervously.

"I didn't hear anything. Go back to sleep." The Goth girl hissed, settling back under her covers.

"She's probably right. Maybe it's just my imagination." Owen murmured to himself as he returned to his cabin. "I just hope Izzy's alright."

…

Noah had been sitting on the dock all day. Ever since he had run there after his fight with Duncan, he had sat there alone, unless you counted his encounter with Heather.

As Noah began to think about going back to his room to sleep, he heard approaching footsteps and the sound of tears growing louder. Before he could turn, someone ran into him and hugged him, crying into his sweater vest. Even without seeing her, he could tell by the faint smell of strawberry shampoo that it was Courtney.

"Courtney? What's wrong?" Noah asked, stroking her hair on instinct.

"Duncan… kiss… Heather.." The crying girl managed to choke out before she broke down crying again.

_That cheating son of a bitch! _ Noah thought angrily, clenching his fists in rage. _But wait.. Didn't Heather kiss Trent once to drive him and Gwen apart?_

Noah's eyes widened as he realized that Heather must have carried out her plan, and that this was it: Making Duncan look bad to drive Courtney into Noah's arms. It was brilliant, in a twisted, horrible way.

_I should probably tell her. _Then she and Duncan could make up, and she would be happy.

"Courtney, I need to tell you something."

"What?" Courtney looked up. Even with puffy, red eyes and a tear stained face, Noah still thought she was beautiful. He wanted her to be his. He couldn't do it. It was selfish and wrong not to, but he couldn't help it. He loved her.

"Duncan's a jerk." He said, and Courtney smiled for the first time since that morning. "Thank you, Noah." She said happily. "Sometimes, I think you're the only person in the world who understands me."

Something overcame Noah when Courtney said those words. He couldn't stop himself. Noah placed his hand under her chin, pulled her closer, and kissed her.

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Oh my gosh, a cliffhanger! I love being an evil author! The power!

Please review and vote on the poll. By the way, I'm starting camp tomorrow, so updates may be slower, but I'll try.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi every body! *Dodges flying plate of meatballs.* Alright, I know I haven't updated in over a month, but I've been busy at summer camp, plus I was on vacation in Chicago last week. But I promise I will try to update more.

Disclaimer: If I own Tdi/Tda, then Katie and Sadie are straight.

* * *

It was the day they had all waited for: The Total Drama Island Finale. Gwen and Owen were going to be competing in a huge and dangerous challenge, and their ex-fellow campers were invited to watch.

It wasn't hard for Courtney to decide who she wanted to win. She had never liked Gwen that much anyway. But as she made her way to the Owen bleachers, she saw an empty spot between both Duncan and Noah, who of course were sitting far away from each other. Both the boys noticed her predicament, and stared at her pleadingly, silently wondering who she would choose. After a moment and a not so subtle hurry-up-so-we-can-begin cough from Chris, Courtney climbed up the bleachers to sit next to Noah.

Noah gaped at her surprised and happy. After all, last night had not ended so well. After they kissed for about three seconds, Courtney had run off saying she needed to think, leaving Noah on the dock, slapping himself for ruining the only friendship he had. But he was secretly delighted, because know she could choose between him and jailbait._ Looks like she's made her choice, _Noah thought smirking at Duncan, who was glaring at him.

Duncan turned away, sighing. _Damn egghead, _he thought. _I know Courtney's pissed at me, but come on; I left her flowers this morning!_

"By the way, Noah," Duncan heard Courtney whisper to Noah. "Thanks for the flowers you left me this morning."

Noah raised his eyebrows; he was obviously confused. "What?"

"The roses with the note that said _I'm sorry._" Now Courtney was confused. "Those were from you, weren't they?"

For an instant, Noah glanced at Duncan, but it was too quick for Courtney to notice. Then he smirked, "Of course they were. Who else would they be from?" Courtney giggled. "No one." She replied.

Duncan was trying not to make a scene, but he was tense and gripping the bench beneath him so hard pieces were coming off. That dweeb had lied to her! And what did Courtney mean by no one, when he had been in love with her since she first set food on the island!

Duncan was about to turn around and tell Courtney the truth, when Chris announced the finale was starting. He tried to keep his anger and jealousy under wraps, at least for now. After all, Owen was one of his best friends, and he wanted him to win, especially since he had announced that if he was going to win, he was going to throw a huge party that everyone was invited to, and Duncan really wanted that to happen, since he wanted to dance with Courtney at least once before they parted ways.

As Gwen and Owen began their race, Duncan saw Courtney, and a bunch of other Owen-followers, get to follow him and cheer him on. Duncan stood up and joined him, something Noah didn't seem to care enough to do.

Owen and Gwen seemed to be doing some sort of pole dance thing, but Duncan wasn't paying attention. He was staring at Courtney. She was jumping up and down, cheering Owen on, when she suddenly caught Duncan staring at her. They locked gazes for half a second, before Courtney glared at him and turned away.

Duncan sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

…

_The nerve! _Courtney thought angrily. _How dare he look at me after last night! He should be on his knees, begging for forgiveness! Or at least he should have done something sweet, like Noah. _At the thought of her friend, Courtney smiled. Perhaps she should consider giving him a chance. He was smart, and cute, and funny. Basically everything that Courtney wanted in a man. Her dream guy. Just add some piercings and a green Mohawk….

_Whoa! I did __**not **__just think of Duncan as my dream guy! _That ogre was everything she hated! He was rude, arrogant, scary, and had been to juvie! What would the other CITs think?

But he was so cute, and smart and funny in his own way. Plus the way she felt when he looked at her… touched her… kissed her…

Courtney shook her head, and looked up to see what was happening. Apparently she had completely missed the second challenge, because Owen and a bunch of others were now running halfway across the island to the finish line. Courtney, without realizing it, had followed them. She was also slowing down without realizing it. _Exercise was never supposed to hurt this much. _Her lungs were on fire and her legs and mind were about to give way from exhaustion. _Noa...Dun... _The words couldn't even form in her head at this point. Her vision went fuzzy, then black. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the ground as she fell unconscious.

…

When Courtney awoke, it was hardly a minute later, but she was completely lost. She got off the ground and walked about two feet before she came to a fork in the road, and she had no idea which one the others were taking. Courtney thought back to her time as a CIT, and remembered that moss grew on the north side of a tree. Or was the south? She couldn't seem to remember.

Unable to summon any logic to help her decide, Courtney resorted to an old game. "Eeny, meeny, miney, mo," she started. When she ended, her finger pointed to the south side of the nearest tree, which pointed to the left path. "Left it is!" she said with more enthusiasm than she felt as she walked down the left path.

But soon, her surroundings became less familiar. _How could I have been here for at least a month without knowing every inch of this place? It's not that big. _As she looked around, not really paying attention, she bumped into something brown, so her first thought was that it was a tree. But instead of being hard and rough, it was soft and furry. Slowly, Courtney looked up, only to see a bear. A very angry bear.

"Uh oh..." Courtney said, panicking. She began to slowly back away, and then, even though it was probably the worst thing she could do, she ran. Behind her, she heard the bear roar and heard him chase after her.

Courtney ran fast, faster than ever before in her life, until, panting, she reached the top of the cliff. She glanced behind her, but couldn't get a good view. She then turned completely around, and saw no bear. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed that she was at the very edge of the cliff, and when she had turned, she lost her balance. She tried to regain it, but it was no use, and she fell.

As a reflex, Courtney reached her hands out, and caught the edge of the cliff. She looked down and saw sharks looking up at her, grinning. Courtney gulped. She couldn't hang on forever. Her grip was starting to slip **(AN: That rhyme was a crime)**

Just then, it occurred to Courtney that she could simply pull herself back onto the cliff and to safety. And from up there, she could see the camp. But then, Courtney saw a shadow loom over her. She looked up and saw the bear, glaring at her. For the first time in her life, Courtney was out of options. Below were hungry sharks waiting to eat her, and above was a PO'ed bear, his paw in the air, about to strike…

…

Back at the camp, Owen had won, and everyone was celebrating. As the commotion died down, Duncan glanced around for his favorite brunette, but couldn't find her. Moving to stand on the bleachers so he could see everyone, he looked for her, but she wasn't there.

"Where's Courtney?" he said worriedly, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Noah dropped the book he was reading. "Courtney's gone?" he said, looking at the faces in front of him. Sure enough, her familiar mocha skin was nowhere to be found.

The other campers stared at each other for a second, before bursting into cheers. Noah and Duncan stared at them, dumbfounded and angry.

"Woo-hoo! Finally! I hope she got eaten by a bear!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Or maybe she drowned!" Geoff added with glee.

Trent laughed. "However it happened, I hope it was horrible and painful!"

You know how something can make you really angry? Like really extremely, angry? Like in the movies where the bitchy popular girl does something horrible to the heroine, who has put up with that girl all through the movie, so she snaps and basically tells the girl she a bitch because she's so angry? Well, that's what happened to Duncan and Noah. When they heard those heckling vultures hoping that something horrible happened to the girl they both loved, they snapped.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! What has she ever done to you to make you want her dead?!" Noah screamed. The cheering stopped. Everyone was staring at Noah.

"Nothing really, but during challenges, she gets so annoying and bossy." Tyler said nervously.

"So you hate her because she actually wants to win? Because she was the only one trying, and she was trying to get your lazy asses to help?" The others looked away. They had never of it like that.

Only Lindsay remained critical. "Of course only you two would defend that bitch. I bet she blackmailed you with sex all the time to hang out with her. Whatever you guys think, I hate that slut!"

It took all of DJ and Eva's strength combined to restrain Duncan from killing the blonde. "What the hell is your problem, whore?" Duncan hissed, glaring at her. "You're becoming more like Heather every day!"

Lindsay gasped, completely shocked to be compared to her former friend. Before she could reply, Duncan turned to Noah and said. "Dude, I know we kinda hate each other, but I know you want to find Courtney as much as I do." _Almost as much. _He added silently to himself. "I need your help. And believe it or not, I kinda want it." Duncan stuck out his hand. "Temporary truce?"

Noah stared at his hand for a moment, before smiling and shaking it. "Temporary truce." He agreed. The two set off, but before they disappeared into the woods, Duncan turned back and smirked at Lindsay. "Oh, and Lindsay? I think I finally understand why you're so hostile to Courtney. You're jealous because she has two guys who love her for more than her body." Lindsay gaped at him, completely speechless at him for figuring out her secret. Before she could regain her senses, Noah and Duncan and Noah had run into the woods in the direction that the scream has come from.

They both ran faster than they ever had in their lives for somehow they both knew: I f they didn't get to the cliff soon enough, it would be too late.

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OMG!!!! What'll happen to Courtney? Will Duncan and Noah Get there in time? And if she survives, who will Courtney choose? No one knows! Well, I know The first two, But the last is up to you! There are only two chapters left! VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!! and review! (By the way, this is the longest chapter I have ever written in my history on FF. I'm so proud.)


	7. Chapter 7

whoo-hoo! two updates in two days in a row! I was going to wait longer to update, to heighten the suspense, but I was bored and this is the only fic of mine I felt like updating. BTW, some of you were confused on where to vote. You vote on the poll on my profile.

Disclaimer:Sadly, I do not own TDI/A

* * *

Duncan and Noah were breathing hard, but they couldn't stop. They could see the cliff from here, and a big brown lump at the top.

Noah looked at Duncan. "Is that a…" before he could say _bear, _Duncan ran even faster. As they drew closer, he saw, to his horror, that it was a bear. A bear with a paw raised and up to strike Courtney with it. Courtney, Noah saw, was barely gripping the edge of the cliff, unable to move or do anything out of pure terror.

Time seemed to slow for Noah as the bear prepared to kill Courtney. To this day, he can't name what came over him. The old Noah would never have risked his life to save someone. But in only a few days, Courtney had changed all that. He felt the need to save her, to die if it meant she would be safe. And so, Noah jumped on the bear.

I stood confused for only an instant, before it began clawing at Noah. He turned his head away, but he could still feel blood trickling down his cheek. But no pain. Only anger and determination… and love.

"Courtney! Run!" he managed to scream, while he covered the bear's eyes to give Courtney a chance to escape.

Unfortunately for Courtney, her hands were starting to slip. She tried to pull herself up, but it was too late. The rock she was clinging too gave way, and Courtney fell, her screams fading by the second.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Duncan screamed, and without thinking threw himself after her.

Thinking back, he had no idea why he did it. After all, now they would both die. But maybe he just wanted to be with her in her last moments, or maybe he thought he could save her. Maybe it was bravery. Or stupidity. Or love. Or maybe some strange combination, like stubraove.

Soon, Duncan was close enough to Courtney to touch her, and he grabbed her hand, and then dug his other hand into the cliff side. He winced in pain and rocks slit his hand, until finally he grabbed on large enough to hold onto, and skidded to a stop. Below him he heard a thud, a small yelp, and a sickening crack. Then there was silence. And dripping…

Duncan glanced down, and saw Courtney, unconscious, with the back of her head smeared in blood. And there was more coming out.

"No." Duncan whispered, tears blurring his vision. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

Just then, Duncan felt something light fall across his side. He looked down, then up, only to find a rope, swaying in the slight breeze. Despite everything, Duncan grinned. He couldn't believe what he was thinking, but thank God for Noah. He let go of the rock, then quickly grabbed the rope before he and Courtney could fall. He tugged on the rope gently, hoping Noah would understand the message. Sure enough, Duncan felt the rope being pulled up. When they reached the top and Duncan had hauled himself and Courtney over the edge, he got a good look at Noah.

Despite hardly being a match for Harold, much less a bear, Noah had somehow got away only slightly banged up. He was covered in scratches, all with a little blood, and most caked in dirt. He also got quite a few bruises, most noticeably one right under his left eye. But he didn't seem to care about his wounds. He was looking at Courtney, who Duncan had laid on the ground.

"Is she…" Noah choked unable to finish his sentence. Tears were falling from his eyes and he began to sob. Duncan said nothing, only stroking Courtney's hand as a single tear rolled down his face.

Suddenly, He heard a small moan. Duncan opened his eyes, and saw Courtney blinking awake.

"Princess!?" Duncan exclaimed, while Noah said, "Courtney!?"

Courtney smiled weakly up at them, while the boys smiled, their tears of sorrow turning to tears of joy, just like Courtney's on that fateful night she and Noah became friends.

"Guys…" She whispered faintly, her eyes closing. "Thank you… so much." Then she fell asleep again, a small smile on her lips.

…

Duncan and Noah carried Courtney back to camp, taking turns holding her head to keep the blood from falling. To their surprise, they found all the other campers, even Lindsay and Heather, waiting anxiously in front of the medical tent.

"Oh my gosh, they're here!" Katie exclaimed. Everyone gathered around the three, asking millions of questions.

"What happened?" Trent asked, looked worriedly at Courtney.

"Is she alright?" Gwen asked, wringing her hands nervously.

"Oh god, tell me she didn't die!" Ezekiel said, on the verge of tears. Noah and Duncan could only stare at them, mouths open, shocked. These people, who had been horrible to Courtney during the past eight weeks, were suddenly… worried about her?

"Why do you guys suddenly care?" Noah asked. Not in a bitter way, but in a shocked and confused way.

"Well, we thought about what you guys said, and you were right," Trent said, while everyone else around him nodded. "She may have been bossy, but she was only trying to help, and we all treated her like dirt. Is she okay? I think everyone wants to apologize."

Duncan shook his head to clear away the shock, and answered, "I honestly don't know if she's okay. She took a nasty spill." As if to prove the point, Noah, who had been holding Courtney's head, pulled his hand away, revealing his blood-soaked palm. Everybody gasped. Duncan averted his eyes and focused on carrying Courtney into the medical tent

…

Chef had assured everyone that Courtney would be fine; she just needed some stitches and painkillers. Noah was also in the tent, getting bandages and disinfectant for his many cuts. Duncan would have been happy to sit by Courtney as she recovered, but Chef kicked him out, saying he was getting in the way. So Duncan stood outside and told everyone what had happened. Eventually, Chris shooed them all away from the tent, but Duncan stayed. There was someone he needed to see.

A few minutes later, Noah emerged from the tent. Duncan approached him. "Hey, man, can we talk for a sec?"

Noah looked at him with slight fear, but nodded.

"Alright, look. I know you're not stupid. It's obvious I like Courtney." Noah nodded. "I'm not stupid either. I know you like Courtney." Again, Noah nodded. "And Courtney's not stupid. She knows we both like her. And once she gets better, she'll have to choose."

Noah nodded. "Right."

"I just want to say… that if she chooses you, I won't be angry. In fact I'll be happy, cause if Princess is happy, then I'm happy."

Noah nodded. "I feel the same way." Duncan stuck his hand out. "So no matter what, no hard feelings, man."

Noah looked at his hand, and then smiled. "Yeah… man." Duncan grinned. He and Noah would probably never be really good friends, but the guy wasn't so bad after all.

…

When Courtney awoke, she saw three faces hovering over her. When her vision cleared, she saw that it was Gwen, Bridgette, and LeShawna.

"Courtney! You're awake!" Bridgette exclaimed, hugging her. "Bridgette? Gwen? LeShawna? What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to say sorry." Gwen explained, while the other two nodded. "We've been really mean to you throughout the show, and you totally didn't deserve it. And everyone else feels the same way."

Courtney smiled at the three. "Thanks, guys, but I could understand why. I mean I was a little competitive at times." The four girls gathered together in a group hug, smiling.

"So, who are you gonna choose?" LeShawna asked, sitting down next to her.

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "What?"

LeShawna rolled her eyes. "Like you don't know. Girl, I'm talking about Duncan and Noah!"

"Oh." Courtney looked down embarrassed. "Well, I don't know."

"Well." Bridgette started, sitting on the bed next to Courtney's. "Think about it. What do you like about each of them?"

Courtney thought for a moment. "Well, Noah is always there for me. He's smart, and funny, and he understands me like no one else. And..." Courtney blushed, "He's kind of cute."

"And Duncan?" Gwen asked.

"Well, he's different. He does tease me a lot, but in his own weird way, he's smart and funny and kind and, yes, even cute." Courtney buried her face in her hands. "Who should I choose!?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Bridgette said. "You have to decide for yourself."

So she did. She thought, focusing on everything about the two boys. Duncan… Noah… Duncan… Noah. Back and forth her head swum. How could she decide!?

And then, it came to her. It was so clear, so obvious who she wanted to be with. How could she not realize it before?

Courtney smiled at the three girls, and stood up. "I've made my choice."

…

Duncan and Noah's heads shot up as they heard the tent flap open. Courtney walked out, supported by Bridgette, and was followed by LeShawna and Gwen.

"I've made my decision, guys." The boys stood up, excited and nervous all at the same time. _This was it, _they both thought. The moment of truth.

"I choose…"

"OWEN"S BUTT!!" Chris exclaimed. He laughed until Courtney glared at him. "What? I'm just trying to heighten the suspense. The viewers live for this kind of stuff!" Courtney rolled her eyes.

"I choose…"

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HAHA! CLIFFHANGER! this is your last chance to vote people! I'm updating this story and closing the poll on Wednesday. I'd give you more time, but the next day I leave for Canada, so that's the latest I can do it. Anyway, VOTE VOTE VOTE and review!

P.S.- for all hardcore DxC fans, look back at the things Noah's done for Courtney, and see if that doesn't make you think a little harder about you choice.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys! Okay, this is much shorter than usual, but that's because one it's just supposed to be a short little ending, and two I have to pack cause I'm leaving for Canada tomorrow! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own TDI, but I wish I owned Noah =D

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The two boys stood there, waiting anxiously. Both had thoughts running through their head.

Noah is frightened and a little hopeful at the same time. He had not known her for a long time, but he'd never met anyone like Courtney. She was his perfect woman. He didn't know what he'd do without her.

Duncan is completely terrified. After all, who was a girl like Courtney more likely to pick, a brainiac or a juvenile delinquent? Exactly. But a small part of Duncan hoped that Courtney could somehow see how much he loved her. He didn't know what he'd do without her.

"I choose…

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… Duncan."

What was that? Did she just say what he thought she said? Duncan jumped up, a huge smile on his face. "YES!!!!" He gathered Courtney up in a hug, and leaned in to kiss her, when he stopped. "Wait a minute. Aren't you still mad about the Heather incident?"

Courtney smiled. "I was. But after what you did for me at the cliff… well, I think I can forgive you."

Duncan grinned at her, and the two finally kissed. After a minute or two, Courtney broke away and walked over to Noah, who was staring at the ground, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Noah." Courtney said sadly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You've done so much for me during the past few days, and I'm so grateful for it. I really hope we can still stay friends. Please?" Noah looked up at her. Her eyes looked so pleading. Even if she didn't love him, Courtney still liked him, and she was sorry to have hurt him.

"Besides, I think I know someone that might have a crush on you." Noah looked to where she was pointing. She was pointing to Izzy, who standing a little farther from them. As soon as she caught Noah's haze, her face turned as red as her hair and she began to wave frantically back at him. He waved back. He had never thought about it, but Izzy wasn't as weird as most people said. She was actually kind of hot.

"Thanks Courtney. I'd like it if we were friends, too." Courtney smiled at him, relieved, and they hugged. Duncan waited for that jealous feeling to hit him, but he felt nothing. Because there was nothing to be jealous of anymore.

Courtney smiled at Noah one more time, then walked over to Duncan and took his hand.

""Come on, Princess," he whispered as they walked into the setting sun of Northern Canada, "Let's go home."

* * *

yes, Duncan won 32 to 28. I have to say I'm a little sad, I was secretly rooting for NxC cause they have almost no fics. I know I said this was the last chap but I'm going to do an epilouge when I get back from Canada. after I finish this, I'm so going to do an NxC fic, or a DxCxN that ends in NxC, cause now I'm obsessed with them. anyway, review!


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